The end of the Melo era, for better or worse — The trade puts an end to the ‘Melo era in New York. There were highs and there were lows, especially after Anthony re-signed with the Knicks in 2014, as The Record’s Steve Popper chronicles:
But after the final stop, Anthony decided to stay where he was, with the team that he had lobbied to join, signing a five-year extension to stay in New York with the Knicks. His one insistence as he fell for the pitch from Phil Jackson was that he wanted a no-trade clause, ensuring his place at Madison Square Garden.
It took ugliness he could not have imagined, failures on the court and in the executive suites, but Anthony won’t finish out the contract in New York, instead agreeing to a trade Saturday that sent him to Oklahoma City in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a second-round draft pick.
The promises in New York went wrong almost immediately, the losses piling up quickly, injuries limiting him and Jackson dealing away almost every component of the team that had gone to the Eastern Conference Semifinals just in 2013. And in those first few months, Anthony began to understand just what he had signed up for.
“When I first committed back in New York, I said I have to trust that these guys know what they’re doing and believe in those guys,” Anthony said right after the teardown began, two days after his friends J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert were dealt away. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back. Here’s the opportunity with the trust. Everything starts now.”
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Kings put the ball in the hands of an “old-soul” rookie — As the Sacramento Kings begin the post-Boogie era in earnest, they are putting the ball in the hands of rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox. Whether or not success on the floor comes early, the Kings can at least be confident that the No. 5 pick has a good head on his shoulders. The Sacramento Bee’s Ailene Voisin profiles Fox:
Fox wants to compete like Russell Westbrook, pass like Chris Paul, shoot like Damian Lillard. But he also wants to play the piano like Beethoven.
“The Fifth Symphony is my favorite piece,” he said while reaching for his cellphone and touching an app. As the famous symphony fills the light, airy living room, the former Kentucky Wildcat expresses an affinity for Bach and Mozart as well. “My high school algebra teacher played classical music during class, and I really took to it. I listen to it before games, or as background music, because it keeps me from getting too hyped. But I like all music. Drake, for sure. Coldplay. My favorite band is Daughter.”
This new Kings point guard? This is a different kind of cat. Unlike most rookies who sign million-dollar contracts and insulate themselves with friends, relatives, handlers, hangers on, Fox prefers to fly solo. Though his mother, Lorraine, and brother, Quinten, furnished the house while he attended rookie orientation in New York, the plan is for his parents, brother and best friend to visit, but only on occasion.
Lorraine Fox describes her son as “an old soul” disguised as a teenager, as a precocious 19-year-old who wears an independent streak like a badge of honor.
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Morey, Rockets focus on the Warriors — It’s generally not a good idea to build your roster with one opponent in mind, but these are different times. The Golden State Warriors are clearly the best team in the league and should remain so for the next few years. So Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey isn’t afraid to admit that the Warriors were the focus when he signed free agents this summer. He talked about that, new ownership, and integrating Chris Paul in a Q & A with the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen:
Q. You mentioned the Warriors as the team you are chasing. How much of your decision-making is specifically geared toward matching up with them?
A. I normally hate worrying about one team, but I think it would be really silly not to right now. They’re that good, so we spent a lot of time thinking about beating the Warriors. We know we’re going to face them. We obviously have to get through some extremely tough teams – the Spurs, Oklahoma City, Memphis, you name it – to get there. But if you know you are going to be facing a team if you’re having the season you want, and we want to be all the way to the championship, I think it does make sense to focus on that team.
Q. Any moves you can point to as examples of that?
A. Yeah. Mbah a Moute and Tucker were both signed with the idea of facing Golden State in mind. I’m not saying we wouldn’t have done it, anyway, but we were thinking of them. Nene was obviously critical. Chris is a move we would have done no matter what. Any time you can add a top 10 player, you do it.
Q. Speaking of Chris Paul, now that you have him, does that mean the offense will be walking the ball up and shooting midrange jumpers?
A. I think we have two people who have a green light no matter where they are. Actually, with Mike (D’Antoni) everyone’s got a green light. We did get one of the best midrange shooters of all time. I think it’s good. It helps diversify the offense.
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Pondexter back after long journey — The New Orleans Pelicans traded Quincy Pondexter to Chicago just when he was ready to return from a two-year absence and make up for lost time. While he was away from the game, Pondexter dealt with more than just knee issues, as ESPN’s Chris Haynes writes:
After being sidelined the past two seasons, Pondexter is ready to make his comeback on opening night for the Chicago Bulls, who acquired him from the New Orleans Pelicans this summer. He is finally healthy after multiple surgical procedures — and major setbacks — on his left knee.
It’s been a longer journey than many people know about. While his knee problems have been public, Pondexter revealed to ESPN that his health issues were much grimmer. He was dealing with a life-threatening infection. He thought he was going to die.
The New Orleans Pelicans acquired Pondexter from the Memphis Grizzlies in January 2015. They needed a 3-and-D player who could help them make a playoff push, and Pondexter excelled at hitting spot-up 3s and chasing the team’s best perimeter player around.
Soon after joining the team, however, Pondexter began limping laboriously to his car after games. He can’t pinpoint when his knee began to bother him, but he grew concerned at the end of February. The pain worsened in March, and the team sent him for X-rays and MRIs, which failed to reveal any issues. Pondexter continued to play. If it was just a matter of tolerating the pain, then that’s what he would do. He would take pain medication and drain his knee on occasion. He didn’t want to let his team down by sitting.
